


A Percent of my Time and Coffee

by ButterflyCookies (Lightningpelt)



Category: Free!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Awkward Flirting, Coffee Shops, Dorks, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Such Precious Dorks, coffee shop AU, wingman!Sousuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-13 06:37:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4511691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lightningpelt/pseuds/ButterflyCookies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin clearly wasn't prepared such an attractive stack of books to walk into his coffee shop.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Percent of my Time and Coffee

**Author's Note:**

> Starting to post some of my work from the '15 Sports Anime Summer Olympics. For a complete list of my fills for the event, check ["My Masterlist on Dreamwidth"](http://niaocat.dreamwidth.org/404.html) (I'll only be posting my faves here on AO3). 
> 
> This one was an absolute blast to write; I'm so glad I got it done. <3 Deviated just slightly from the original prompt, found ["here"](http://sportsanime.dreamwidth.org/4403.html?thread=1226291#cmt1226291).  
> Also wingman!Sousuke is one of my favorite Sousukes, in case you were wondering. <3

It was all Matsuoka Rin could do to make out the order, between the customer's muffled voice and his own suppressed chuckling. 

"And your name?" he asked, then couldn't help but add, "Or should I just put down 'stack of books?'" 

The ruffled patch of blue hair visible above the pile jumped, and the customer huffed out a hurried apology. He gingerly propped one corner of the stack on the counter so that he could peer around it. 

"I-I'm sorry! Rei, i-it's Rei!" 

Rin couldn't help but stare, although only for a moment before he managed to wipe the dumb look off his face and replace it with a more comfortable smirk. The boy was strangely... gorgeous, all flushed cheeks and bright eyes behind red, thick-rimmed glasses. 

"So I _am_ talking to an actual person after all!" Rin said good-naturedly, and enjoyed how Rei's blush deepened. 

"S-Sorry..." he murmured again, but then laughed. "I really don't feel like much more than a stack of books lately, with exams coming up!" 

"Well, I've never seen such an attractive stack of books." The words were out of Rin's mouth before he could consider them, and suddenly his own cheeks were hot, too. Both boys, flustered, looked away, and Rei almost dropped his books. 

"One large black coffee?" Just when things were getting unbearable, Rin's coworker appeared at his shoulder with the requested drink in hand. 

"Y-yes!" Rei confirmed, shifting his books. "Just let me put these down and I'll come right back, thanks!" 

Rin spun as soon as Rei was out of earshot, one hand landing heavily on his coworker's shoulder. "Whew! You saved me there, Sousuke!" 

The teal-eyed boy stared at him with an unimpressed expression. "No kidding." 

"Don't be mean!" Rin objected, and Sousuke shook his head slightly, 

"It's not mean, it's true," he said flatly. "You were dying. I had to step in before you wrecked _any_ shot you have." 

Instantly Rin was at attention. "You think I have a shot?" he demanded, and Sousuke groaned lightly. 

"If you don't keep acting like a complete dunce," he said, patting Rin's shoulder. "Look, he's coming back. Here's his coffee." 

"N-No, you can't leave me!" Rin objected, but Sousuke was already vanishing into the back of the store with a wave. "Sousuke...! Come back...!" 

But it was too late, and then the _very attractive_ stack of books was back at the counter. With little else to do, Rin held out the cup. 

"Thanks," the bespeckled boy said, and then they both paused as if expecting something else to happen. But neither spoke again; after a beat, Rei smiled and turned, walking back to the table he had claimed and covered with books. 

Rin gave a soft sigh— disappointed in himself and a little bit frustrated. He flushed when Rei stole a glance up at him and caught him staring back, and they both quickly averted their gazes. But Rin was soon watching him again, and so saw the customer's nose wrinkle in an ominous— but adorable —way when he took a sip of his coffee. 

_Sousuke...!!_

After a visible moment of hesitation, Rei got up; Rin, flustered, scrambled for a task to appear busy and completely _not_ preoccupied with the bespeckled boy. But when Rei appeared at the counter, he looked up. 

"I-I'm sorry," Rei began, a bit sheepish and a bit indignant, "but I ordered this black, and it's almost 50% cream by volume." 

Rin was fairly sure that that wasn't a normal way to phrase the complaint, but it was damned adorable. 

"Crud, I'm sorry about that," he said, then took the cup back. "I'll go talk to my coworker and grab you a new one." 

Rei just nodded, and then Rin was on the warpath— storming into the back with coffee in hand. 

"You're such a dick, Sousuke!" he snapped in a whisper, waving the coffee cup at his smirking coworker. "You messed up his coffee on purpose! Why the hell would you do that?!" 

"Because I knew you wouldn't have the guts to ask him out the first time," was his friend's answer, "so I gave you a second shot at it." 

Rin blinked, his anger evaporating. "Oh. Okay. Well thanks, I guess." Then he added, "But I'll still get you back for this, eventually." 

And Sousuke grinned, holding out the replacement coffee. "Fine by me. Now go get 'em." 

With his friend's confidence at his back, Rin strode back out to the counter with coffee in hand. 

"Thanks," Rei said, smiling as he took it. This time he didn't pause, but turned immediatly. 

This time, though, Rin spoke. 

"Hey, do you wanna...?" he began, then stalled as Rei turned back, a light blush already visible on his cheeks. Rin felt his own face redden, and struggled to say, "I-I mean... yeah, not like, coffee, but, you know, something...?" 

And Rei smiled. "Sorry." 

Rin's heart plummeted. 

But then Rei continued. 

"I've already used up 1.34% of the time I set aside for studying today chatting with you, you see, and that's time that will have to come out of my scheduled sleep," he informed the stunned barista. "I really can't afford any more distractions until these exams are over." And then he was practically glowing red as he asked, "But perhaps after my exams, if the offer will still be open?" 

Rin couldn't help the smile that broke out over his face, dorky as he knew it looked. "Yeah! I mean, I'll try to keep my many admirers at bay until then." 

Rei chuckled at the joke, which only made Rin's grin widen. They both waved as Rei returned to his books and Rin to his work. 

And, as it was, Rei's study time ended up being frittered away .5% at a time anyway, since every time the two locked eyes across the cafe they couldn't help but stop what they were doing for a moment and simply smile.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3 Please remember to leave kudos and/or a comment if you enjoyed! ;w;


End file.
